The Training and Career Development Core wiH be directed by Leslie Bernstein, PhD. The Specific Aims of the Training and Career Development Core are 1) to establish a comprehensive recruitment strategy to attract promising graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, new investigators and established investigators for trans-disciplinary training in obesity and cancer research;2) to facilitate training in research methods, epidemiology, physiology, clinical investigation, and prevention program development guided by mentors from relevant academic disciplines and skilled in the practice of transdisciplinary prevention research;3) to provide expanded trans-disciplinary training through scheduled seminars, distinguished invited speakers and collaboration within the University of Southern California (USC) Center;and 4) to facilitate and establish a formal mentoring program for all trainees and junior investigators in obesity and cancer research. Trainees will be provided with a broad array of opportunities in the fields of obesity, cancer and physical activity research. Trainees will also receive educational opportunities through formal coursework in one of the outstanding graduate programs offered within the Department of Preventive Medicine or in one of the basic science or health science programs at USC (e.g., physiology, physical therapy, MS in clinical investigation). Trainees will be provided regular "state-of-the art" seminars, lectures by visiting professors, and interactions with outstanding basic science and clinical faculty at the Keck School of Medicine and particularly, at the USC/Norris Cancer Center. Each trainee will be assigned a primary and a secondary mentor who will have complementary research disciplines and will oversee the experiential part of the training. Dr Bernstein will meet regularly with each trainee individually (at least once a month) to provide career mentoring and guidance and to assure that all of the educational and experiential needs of the trainee are being met. Dr Bernstein will also work with the faculty leading projects and pilot studies in a mentoring role.